Palo Duro Canyon plans improvements

Motorists navigate Water Crossing Two in Palo Duro Canyon State Park after overnight and morning showers drenched the park July 17. The state park will be getting three bridges to help improve the flow of traffic along crossings that can flood during storms.

CANYON — Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a busy place these days. That’s on top of the increase in visitors — and the pace looks to be increasing.

Gushing streams, and the mud and parts of trees they leave behind, are frequent consequences of hard rains in and around the canyon, but slated for the fall is the start on construction of the first two of three bridges to be built by the Texas Department of Transportation over water crossings that can be blocked during and after rains.

“Bridges over Water Crossings One and Two should be finished by March, and then they’ll start on Water Crossing Six into the summer,” Park Superintendent Cory Evans said.

Some new projects already are moving ahead. Paving work has just been completed in the Juniper Multi-use Area to be followed by the installation of utilities this fall.

“Then we’ll add day-use campsites and a group pavilion in the spring of 2014 and other improvements,” Evans said. “It’s a big project.”

Starting next month, a users group will be aiding a study to find out how best to develop new properties added to the park over the last few years. They include Canoncita Ranch, part of the Harrell Ranch and Fortress Cliffs. Pre-bidding was just completed to renovate the Canoncita’s house perched on the canyon edge into the Gilvin Education Center for researchers.

“They’ll put together a plan and get public input at least twice,” Evans said. “There could be trails, remote backpack camping and equestrian use.”

Also, an old trail will become a new one. Comanche Trail will run from the Mack Dick Group Pavilion to Water Crossing Six, skirting the base of Fortress Cliffs.

“It’s a historic trail the Civilian Conservation Corps used that has been in disrepair for decades that will be restored,” Evans said. “Our faithful volunteers will be helping. They do a lot of work down here.”

Besides new facilities and other improvements there are also activities to enhance the experiences of visitors.

“We have driving tours. They’re something new that have been very popular,” Park Interpreter Bernice Blasingame said, “We have a 12-passenger van, so you need to reserve a place. It’s for people who don’t want to hike, but want information.”

And amidst all the work, there are more visitors at the park.

“Visitation and revenue are both up from last year,” Evans said.

Total parks revenue is up $4 million or 13 percent for the year. Activity fees and concessions are up 11 percent, a bump of $410,000, and entrance fees are up $871,000 or 8.3 percent, according to George Power, team leader of parks reporting/visitation for Texas Parks and Wildlife. The largest increase is in facility fees, up 17.1 percent or almost $2 million.